Aptly named The Market Place the latest arrival in Bolsover town centre will breathe new life into a quaint building by welcoming its first customers on June 25.
For the first few months The Market Place will be open daytimes only, with an offering that includes barista-led coffee, bagels, bowls and small bites.
Sharing boards, small plates and sides will be introduced to the menu when the business eventually opens in the evenings.
Adam, 40, is pleased to see his ideas and concept for the old building come to fruition after months of renovation work.
He said: “It’s not just about opening the doors and letting people eat and drink, it’s more about a community project – get people involved and invested in the site.”
A snug has been created on the first floor where a quirky mix of velvet and tapestry covered seats, wooden dining chairs, a low ceiling and dark paintwork provide a cosy ambience.
Old pictures on the walls have been given a modern touch with messages daubed on them by Adam.
He said: “The intention behind that was to show local artists that we're going to be doing showcases.
“People can come along, put up their artwork for a month and hopefully sell as many pieces as they can.
“We've managed to obtain the local book group that used to be here.
“There was a poetry group and one of the staff is into poetry so she's going to set that back up.
“The top floor is eventually going to be a library and a cinema and we want to work with the local cinema group to do certain screenings.
“We want to do food and cinema pairings so if you have a film such as Goodfellas, you've got an Italian dish.
“The ground floor is coffee shop-esque, quite chilled and still got lots of character and vintage about it.”
Adam has kept down the costs of transforming the building by renovating the property himself, helped by his dad who did the painting.
He said: “I've stripped the place from floor to ceiling. I've recycled, upcycled, reused a lot of things that were on site including 300 to 400 screws and I've tried to source free items and cheap items.
“People have told me that the business has been a car parts place, a florist, wine and deli… I've found car parts in the cellar, fake flowers under the floorboards, lots of coins and a really old £20 note.”
When Adam ripped up the wooden flooring on the ground floor, he discovered that half of it was made of outside decking.
Adam said: “I put it on Marketplace and it upset a few people that in their eyes I was destroying the place, so I decided to reuse that.
“I've used it to make decking that's in the secret garden and I've clad the wall in the toilet with it.
“All the skirting that lines the edge of the floor was lining the wall. Not only did the room have outdoor decking but it looked like a shed all the way around the inside.”
Old doors, which Adam picked up for free, have been given a new lease of life as distinctive wall panelling.
The former bar was built from scaffolding boards which Adam has repurposed as footrests.
Eye-catching curiosities include chairs made out of old metal seats from Massey Ferguson tractors. Adam said: “They were the most expensive thing I bought – £150 each. They are solid and really heavy but quite comfy because they are moulded.”
Faux leading on the windows framed by real ivy and artificial foliage enhances the character of the building’s frontage.
The botanical theme, created by award-winning florist Kirsty Noble who owns the Bolsover business Blum, continues in the secret garden at the back of the property.
Adam said: “The secret garden is an additional space to be used. It can be hired for a private party for eight to 10 people.”
Ahead of opening day, the new business is already causing huge interest.
Adam said: “It's got a really good reception on social media. One of the posts alone had 30,000 impressions which is like 33 per cent of Bolsover's population.”
Bolsover is a town that is growing in size which was a key factor in Adam's decision to invest in its future.
He said: “You have a lot of people moving into the area – 450 houses have just been built and they are building another 400 in the next five years.
“You are getting city and town folk moving in that are expecting something more than what they've already got which is hopefully what we can bring.
“Every cafe around here has its own clientele and it's my intention to tap into those who don't necessarily go to these.”
Adam has recruited four members of staff for his new business. He said: “I’m excited, I hope it pays dividends once everything is open.”
Based on a corner site in Bolsover Market Place, the charming building previously housed a deli and wine business which shut down in November 2024.
Adam said: “I used to come in with my wife for wine and tapas. I knew there was value to the business but I don't think it had been exploited previously so I'm just trying to expand on that.”
Dad of two Adam has a background in the craft beer industry. He co-founded Heist Brew Company which operated a brewery, bar and bottle shop in Clowne and expanded into Sheffield.
Latterly, Adam has been running The Yard pub at Langwith which will be closing at the end of June because the owner of the Park View site has served notice.
*The Market Place will initially be open Tuesdays to Fridays, 8am until 5pm and on Saturdays and Sundays, from 8am until 2pm.
9. First look at The Market Place, Bolsover
Customers can watch the world go by from the outdoor tables and chairs in front of the premises. Photo: Brian Eyre